3 Free Agent Signings the Cowboys Should Make Following Trade Deadline

1. Ronald Jones II, Running Back

This offseason, Dallas signed Ronald Jones II to give them a veteran running back to help back up Tony Pollard. Jones wound up getting hit with a two-game suspension and that might have been the only reason he was still officially on the roster to kick off Week 1. The Cowboys were sold on Rico Dowdle, Deuce Vaughn, and Hunter Luepke and wound up letting Jones walk when the suspension was lifted.

Now in Week 9, the ground game hasn’t been as good as expected. Dallas is 11th in the league with 820 yards but they have just five touchdowns and are averaging a mere 3.9 yards per carry. Part of the problem is the offensive line being banged up but even with that being the case, they can use a shot in the arm in the ground game.

This is why they were being linked to some potential running backs and while Derrick Henry wasn’t a real option, they should have tried to land someone. Since they didn’t, they would have to look to the open market for help.

Perhaps Kenyan Drake could be an option but he was just signed to the Cleveland Browns practice squad. If they’re wanting someone who they don’t have to compete for, they could bring Jones back.

He’s not a star player by any means but Jones has a career average of 4.4 yards per attempt. In 2020, he was the yardage leader for the Super Bowl Champion Tampa Bay Buccaneers with 978 yards and seven touchdowns while averaging 5.1 yards per run.

Adding Jones would give them someone who has two Super Bowl rings (he was on Kansas City in 2022) and already has some familiarity with this offense. It’s clear that Vaughn isn’t ready and for some reason, they won’t give Dowdle more than a couple of carries per game. Perhaps Jones would be able to earn the coaching staff’s trust and help keep Tony Pollard fresh and more productive.

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